X-ray film holder



April 28, 1959 Filed April 26, 1956 X-RAY FILM HOLDER Alexander Albert, Brookline, Mass. Application April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,939

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-259) The present invention relates to an improved structure for film holders and more particularly to an improvedstructure for supporting large films, such as X-ray films, during handling and drying processes.

Specifically, the present invention concerns itself with an improved clip structure used in combination with a film holder. In the past, X-ray films, which may be of considerable size, have been supported in rectangular frames with the film gripped at its corners by usually four clips. Because the frames may be used repeatedly by numerous people, they are subject ordinarily to considerable abuse. Furthermore, the requirement that X-ray films of different sizes be accommodated in a single frame results in bending, adjustments and moving of the clips. All of these factors contribute to deficiency of clips heretofore known and used in film holders of the type described.

These clips will normally open and will not have their required tension at the jaws after a period of use. Very often the jaws become dislocated and bent out of alignment. They do not very often properly close or have sufficient tension at the jaw to securely hold the film which is positioned within the frame. As these clips are ordinarily U-sh-aped with the jaws facing one another at the ends of the legs forming the U, and as these clips are permanently secured to the frame, the entire frame will become useless and must be discarded when the jaws spread apart and no longer close in their proper relationship to one another.

The present invention is designed to overcome these difficulties and provides a clip of such a structure in which the clip is shaped with a body having parallelly outwardly tensioned legs with the ends of the legs formed into clamp sections. These clamp sections, positioned parallel with one another, are maintained permanently in aligned and parallel relationship. This proper alignment and parallel relationship is obtained by having one clamp section project through an opening formed in the opposing leg. By this expedient, a permanent self-alignment is obtained.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an elevation of a frame for X-ray film and the like having the improved clip,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an improved clip in the present invention,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a detail of the invention showing the clip, and

Figure 4 is a modification of the invention showing the improved clip in a novel frame.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there is shown a frame 1 having side members 2 and 3 interconnected at their tops by a top member 4 and at their bottom by a bottom member 5. The members 2, 3 and 5 may be preferably formed of a continuous length of wire, preferably stainless steel wire. They are secured at their top ends to the channel member or element 4 which extends United States Patent 0 at its ends 6 and 7 beyond the side elements 2 and 3. The extended ends of the top element 4 may be used to support the frame on suitably formed racks or the like. A cats whisker 8, having ends 9 and 10, is secured at its center portion to the element 4 by suitable means. This cats whisker 8 is formed of a resilient spring rod and has clips 11 and 12 positioned at its end. Similar clips 13 and 14 are positioned on the bottom element 5. The clips 11, 12, 13 and 14 are each positioned with their jaws directed to the inner portion of the frame so as to suitably grip and hold the film when once inserted within the clip. These clips may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the cats Whisker 8 or the bottom element 5 as the case may be. As the cats whisker 8 is formed of a spring steel rod, the clips 11 and 12 will be tensioned in an upward direction and will thereby hold a film positioned within the frame straight and under tension.

These clips are identical with one another and are illustrated in Figure 2 in detail. As illustrated, each of these clips is provided with a pair of parallel legs 20 and 21 connected at their rear by the bight section 22. This clip being formed preferably of a spring steel has these legs 20 and 21 tensioned outwardly. The free ends 22 and 23 of these legs 20 and 21 respectively are formed parallel with one another. Free end 22 is formed in the same plane as the main portion of the leg 20, while the free end 23 is oifset from the main portion of the leg 21 by the section 24 which is continuous with the main portion of the leg 21 and with the free end 23. Clamping sections 25 and 26 extend respectively from the free ends 22 and 23. The clamping section 26 is continuous with and in the same plane as free end 23. This clamping section 26 extends normally to the free end 23 in a downward direction in clips 11 and 12 and in an upward direction in clips 13 and 14. Clamping section 25 is offset from the free end 22 by a horizontal section 27. This horizontal section 27 passes through a slot 28 formed in the free end 23 along a line substantially parallel to and on a horizontal level with the lower edge of the free end 22. The clamping sections 25 and 26 extend downwardly parallel to one another and by virtue of the fact that the legs 20 and 21 are spring tensioned outwardly, the clamping sections 25 and 26 will be spring tensioned towards one another. There may also be provided a pin 30 which projects from the surface of clamping section 25 towards clamping section 26 and a corresponding opening 31 in clamping section 26 to receive this pin. This arrangement insures a locking grip on the film when once inserted into the clip. Each of the clips is secured by suitable means to the frame, such as by welding.

In the drawings, as illustrated, the preferable form of securing these clips is by welding the tab or lip 32 which extends from the upper edge of leg 20 to the appropriate member which, in this case, is illustrated as the cats whisker.

In Figure 4, there is shown a modification of the present invention in which clips of the above-described structures are secured to a frame having top 36, bottom 37 and sides 38 and 39. These elements 36, 37, 38 and 39 may be of the same general structure as those illustrated in Figure 1. In this structure, the clips 40 and 41 are slidably secured to the side members 38 and 39 respectively by sleeve members 42 and 43, which slidably engage the side elements 38 and 39 respectively. These sleeve members 42 and 43 are secured to the end of the springs 44 and 45 respectively, which in turn are secured at their other end to the top element 36. Thus, the clips 40 and 41 will normally be tensioned in an upward direction as the springs 44 and 45 are compression springs designed to tension these clips 40 and 41 upwardly, towards the top element 36. It should, of course, be understood that in both modificaitons of Figure 1 and Figure 4 the upper pair of clamps are positioned from the lower pair of clamps at a distance slightly greater than the length of the film which is normally positioned within the frame or at a distance somewhat greater than the longest film which is normally positioned with in the frame.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a holder for X-ray films and the like, a clip formed of a U-shaped body having substantially parallel and uniformly sized legs spring tensioned outwardly, said legs having free ends with one free end parallelly otfset from and interconnected to one leg by a continuation thereof, said offset free end having a slot formedtherein, a pair of parallel tongues forming clamps in planes parallel with said free ends, a connecting member passing through and substantially occupying said slot and interconnecting one of said tongues and the other free end, said connecting member extending from and being continuous with the lower edge of said other free end, the other tongue being connected to said one free end.

2. A film holder having a flat U-shaped, integral body, comprising a first leg positioned substantially in a first plane, a second leg spaced on one side of said first leg and parallel to said first plane in a rest position, said legs being spring tensioned to cause the free ends thereof to move apart from each other, said second leg including two'substantially perpendicular bends such that its free end is disposed in closely confronting parallel relation- "ship to the free end of "said first leg, said second free end having a lower edge which protrudes below the corresponding edge of said confronting first free end, a tab integral with said second free end and extending from the lower edge thereof parallel to said first plane, said second free end further having a slot parallel to the lower edge of said first free end and in line therewith, a tab integral with said first free end extending from the lower edge thereof in a direction normal to said first plane, said last recited tab protruding through said slot and further including a perpendicular bend to position the end thereof in proximate parallel confronting relationship to said first recited tao, said spring tension causing said tabs to exert a mutual clamping action in said rest position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,554 Johnson Oct. 22, I895 667,941 Hawkins Feb. 12, 1901 1,373,493 Dye Apr. 5, 1921 1,657,678 Kirwan Ian. 31, 1928 2,352,601 Burke July 4, 1944 2,508,077 Preston May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 254,835 Great Britain July 15, 1926 976,333 France Oct. 25, 1950 

